Feed metering device



Nov. 28, 1961 A. STEINLE FEED METERING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 5, 1958 Fig./

Nov. 28, 1961 A. STEINLE 3,010,612

FEED METERING DEVICE Filed Feb. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 August z rox.

United States Patent 3,010,612 FEED METERING DEVICE August Steinle, Higgins, Tex. Filed Feb. 5, 1958, Ser. No. 713,474 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-489) This invention relates generally to metering devices, and more particularly to a feed metering device for attachment to the back of a pick up or truck which is to be used while the vehicle is travelling.

The primary object of this feed metering device is to measure feed and deposit it in little piles behind a pick up where cattle are fed on an open range, or to place piles of feed in troughs from the sides of pick ups or trucks. This device is very beneficial for range feeding because large ranches have been just letting feed pour out of the back end of a pick up in long strings of feed and the cattle rushing along behind the pick up or truck crush much of the feed and scatter it all about. When it is in piles of a predetermined number of pounds to the pile, the cattle or other animals gather around these piles and do not trample so much of it into the ground.

Another object of this invention is to provide a measun ing means for use in metering the feed, which means may only move in one direction, this being the forward direction, and prevent movement of the measuring means in the opposite direction, so that constant forward movement of the feeding means is possible, with the prevention of backward movement thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described wherein reservoir means are provided for holding a large quantity of feed, this reservoir having an outlet in the bottom end thereof, so that the feed will be passed from the reservoir into the measuring means and then be dispersed in piles onto the ground.

An even further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described wherein the amounts of feed in each of the piles may be varied so as to adapt this device for use under varied circumstances.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described wherein the feed will be screened and kept in a special compartment which may be emptied when desired, so that the problem of losing one-fourth of the feed which normally will be caught in a screen in the bottom of a feed barrel, is obviated, and this otherwise wasted feed may be saved and reused.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for starting and stopping the metering device independently of the movement of the pick up or truck, whereby the metering device may be controlled by a switch in the front of the truck so that the driver may stop the metering device when the truck has to stop during its feeding rounds, as when animals get in front of the vehicle.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which is exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

This invention contemplates the use of a barrel which is to be mounted on the rear of a pick up or truck. An opening is provided in the lower end of the barrel so that feed located therein may flow outwardly therefrom. Battles are provided within the barrel so that the feed will constantly be urged, by means of gravity, downwardly and outwardly of the barrel, and into a chute which leads the feed into a revolving, measuring drum. A door is provided for the opening in the barrel, and this door may be either closed, or adjusted to a variety of selectable positions. One end of the drum has circumferential slots formed therein, so that a lever which is pivotally mounted to the same shaft on which the drum is rotatably mounted, may selectively engage the slots, and upon movement of the lever will rotate the drum therewith. A motor and 3,019,612 Patented Nov. 28, 1961 gear reduction box are provided to oscillate the lever and thus move the drum about its shaft in predetermined angular increments. Another lever is provided, which is stationary, which engages the slots on the opposite side from the movable lever, and because of the shape of the slots, prevents backward movement of the measuring drum. A motor is mounted atop the chute which communicates the barrel outlet with the measuring drum, and this motor drives a gear reduction mechanism which in turn drives a crank arm connected to a pitman rod which engages the outer end of the oscillatable lever.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the feed metering device illustrating the same as attached to the rear of a pick up or truck;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken centrally through the device illustrated in FIGURE 1, illustrating the path of fiow of the feed through the device;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the plane defined by reference line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the measuring drum illustrating the means for actuating the same, with parts being broken away for clarity;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane defined 'by reference line 55 of FIGURE 4 illustrating details of construction thereof;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 5, illustrating the actuating mechanism in a different position;

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view illustrating one of the slots which is formed in the circumferential flange extending outwardly on the actuating mechanism side of the measuring drum.

' Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the feed reservoir whic is to be used in conjunction with the present invention. The measuring mechanism 12 is connected rearwardly of the reservoir 10, and an actuating mechanism 14 is drivingly connected thereto, and receives its motion from drive means 16.

The feed metering device is mounted on the rear of a truck 18 having the conventional type of tailgate 20. The reservoir 10 sets partially on the tailgate 20 and partially on the floor of truck 18. The reservoir 10 is constructed generally of a conventional type of 55 gallon oil barrel, having an opening 24 formed in the lower rearward wall thereof. A mesh baffle 26 is fixed within the barrel 22, near the bottom thereof, and slants rearwardly and downwardly so as to allow the feed to be forced out of opening 24 by means of gravity. A solid baflle 28 is provided at the rearward portion of the barrel and is disposed above the mesh baflle 26. This bafile 28 is inclined forwardly and downwardly so that feed resting thereon willbe urged toward the mesh baflle 26 for screening the feed and keeping pressure on the feed coming out of the reservoir.

Another opening 21 is formed in the lower forward wall of the barrel 22, and has a removable door 23 closing this opening. A partition 25 is mounted across the lower portion of opening 24 and serves to support the.

rearmost edge of mesh 'bafile 26, While also enclosing the area beneath the tank'under this baffle 26. So the feed as it passes along mesh baflle 26 will be screened, and the small pieces will fall therethrough in the bottom of the barrel, where they may be removed when desired by removing door 23, whereby access may be gained thereto through opening 21. A solid bafile may be placed on the top or in place of the mesh baffle if whole or ground grain is being fed.

The opening 24 and barrel 22, is framed on either side by means of vertical channel members 30, to which the rearward and lower end of mesh baffle 26 is connected. A sliding door 32 which is of solid construction, is slidably engaged within channel membersfit), and the position of closure 32 controls the amount of feed that will be alrod 34, so that the control rod 34 may be selectively held in a plurality of adjusted position. A handle 42 is provided atop the control rod 34, so that easier manipulation of the control rod will be attained.

The measuring mechanism 12 is constructed of a chute 44 which depends downwardly from the barrel 22, and has sides 46 which are connected to vertical channel members 30. In substantial alignment with the walls 46 of the chute 44, are vertical plates 48 which are connected on either side of outlet 24, to prevent the feed from falling out of the sides instead of going into chute 44. Thus, it may be seen, that these plates 48, are actually a continuation of or part of the chute 44. A plate 50 is connected below vertical channel members 30, and in alignment with the bottom of barrel 22, and the bottom 52 of the chute 44 is fixed thereto. An angle member 54 is conneced on the lower surface of chute bottom 52, and serves to ,act as a limiting stop when the barrel is placed on the tailgate 20, since the angle member 54 will contact the end of tailgate 20, and limit the forward movement of the barrel. A top 56 is provided on the chute, and thistop extends so as to enclose the rearward portion of the chute, but does not extend forwardly, and is not located above the bottom 52 of the chute, so that an opening 58 is hereby formed. A shaft 60 is fixed to the upper corner of the chute walls 46, and a door 62 depends from this shaft 60 and is pivotally mounted thereon. The chute bottom 52-1eads into a curved portion 64, which is the same shape as the measuring drum 66. v

A shaft 68 is fixed to chute walls 46, and is located between top 56 and curved portion 64. The drum 66 is rotatably mounted upon this shaft 68, and has circular heads 70 and 72 at either end thereof. Intersecting divider plates 74 are connected between the heads 70 and 72 of the drum, so that measuring compartments for the feed'are thereby formed.

Actuating mechanism 14, is attached to bracket 76 :which depends from sides 46, and has shaft 68 extending therethrough. The drum head 72 has a circumferential outwardly extending flange 78 connected at the peripheral edge thereof. A plurality of slots 88 are formed in the flange 78 approximately 90 apart.

FIGURES and 6, it may be seen that one end of the shaft 68 extends outwardly from the drum. A washer 88 is disposed about the shaft, and located between one leg of bracket 76 and the-head 72 of the drum. Then, a moving lever 90. is connected about the shaft, and thereabove is connected a stop lever .92. A sleeve Q4 is connected about the shaft and outwardly of the two previously mentioned levers, and a spring 96 is connected thereabout,

this spring being connectedfbetween the upper or outer Each of these slots 80 has a cammed surface 82 so that each of the edge of stop lever 92 and the inner edge of the outer leg of bracket 76. A cotter pin 98 is connected on the outer end of shaft 68, so that the mechanism is firmly locked thereon. The moving lever 90, is disposed in a plane parallel to that of drum head 72, having its outer end 109 bent at a slight angle thereto, so that the forward edge of this end 100 may contact the slot wall 84, and upon movement of lever 90, the drum will be rotated therewith. A spring clip 102 is connected near the inner end of lever 98 and rides up upon stop lever 92 when the moving lever 90 has nearly reached its limit of travel, the spring clip 1G2 rides up upon stop lever 92 and resiliently urges its outer end inwardly. Stop lever 92 has an outer end 104 which is bent at right angles thereto and travels in a slot 106 in plate 108 provided for the purpose. This plate 108 is connected to side Wall 46 of the chute. As one of the slots is located below outer end 104, the latter is urged inwardly and becomes engaged within the slot and locks the drum from movement in either direction because of the walls 84 and 86 of the slot 80 preventing the flange 78 from moving past outer end 104. This position is illustrated in FIGURE 6, as the moving lever is being moved backward toward its starting position. Whenever the movable lever is engaged on the outer edge of flange 78, it is tilted upwardly a slight amount, so that the inner end of lever 92, designated as 110- is also moved upwardly by the action of lever 90. Thus, the outer end 104 of the stop lever is forced downwardly and firmly into slot 80. However, when the lever 90 is returned to its rearward limiting position, it snaps downwardly along wall 84 of slot 80, and thence into the slot,

because it is being urged downwardly by means of spring 96. When this happens the inner end of lever .112 pushes upwardly on lever 92 causing a fulcrurning or pivoting about the shaft 68, thus urging the outer end.104 of stop lever 92 upwardly to a positionat least above that of wall 86 so that upon forward movement of movable lever 98 the stop lever 104 will ride up along cam surface 82, and allow forward movement of the drum.

The drive means 16 is constructed of a motor 112 which is mounted on a bracket 114 connected to one of the chute side walls 46. To this motor is attached a reduction mechanism 116 which is in turn connected to a reversing mechanism 118, which drives a crank arm 120. This crank arm moves from a position as illustrated in FIGURE 1, and from this position oscillates clockwise until the movable lever 90has reached its forward limiting position, whereupon the reversing mechanism moves the lever counterclockwise to the position illustrated in FIGURE 1. The pitman'rod 122 is connected to the outer end of crank 120, and the free end of crank arm is connected to an opening 124 formed in the outer end of movable lever 90, see FIGURE 4. It may thus be seen that motor 112 will drive the lever 90.

,The motor 112 may be a small electric motor running on 6 or 12 volts depending on the battery voltage of the vehicle, so that this motor may be driven directly by the vehicle battery. Furthermore, a switch for activating the motor will be located in the front of the'vehicle, as on the dashboard, so that it may be actuated from the truck, so that the feeding device maybe stopped or started at any time.

In use, after the barrel 22 has been filled with feed, the baffies will directly feed outwardly through the outlet 24, and thence into the drum between the divider 74' into the compartment formed therebetween. Then, upon movement of the drum 66, 90, the feed which was deposited therein will be dropped and an adjacent compartmerit will be filled with feed.

It may now be seen that a new and novel type of feed metering device 'whichis extremely useful for range feeding has been describedf' The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

-1. A device for dispensing feed comprising a reservoir having a delivery chute, dispensing means connected to the delivery end of said chute for intermittently dispensing measured quantities of feed, said dispensing means comprising a measuring drum pivotally mounted on the delivery end of said chute, said drum having circumferentially spaced thereabout a plurality of measuring components, actuating means for intermittently rotating said drum in one direction a predetermined distance and stop means operativeiy connected to said actuating means for retaining said drum in position after each movement by said actuating means against movement in said one direction until further action by said actuating means, a shaft on which said drum rotates, said drum having notches formed circumferentially about one end thereof, said actuating means including an actuating lever pivotally connected to the shaft and engageable with said notches, said retaining means comprising a stop lever rotatably journaled on said shaft and engageable with said notches, means for preventing rotation of said stop lever relative to said device and thereby preventing rotation of said drum, and means operatively connecting said actuating lever to said stop lever whereby operation of said actuating lever Will resiliently urge said stop lever into engagement with said notches to retain said drum in position against rotation in said one direction after havng een rotated by said actuating lever.

2. A device "for dispensing feed comprising a reservoir having a delivery chute, dispensing means connected to the delivery end of said chute for intermittently dispensing measured quantities of feed, said dispensing means comprising a measuring drum pivotally mounted on the delivery end of said chute, said drum having oircumfer- I entially spaced thereabout a plurality of measuring components, actuating means for intermittently rotating said drum in one direction a predetermined distance and stop means operatively connected to said actuating means for retaining said drum in position after each movement by said actuating means against movement in said one direction until further action by said actuating means, a shaft on which said drum rotates, said drum having notches formed circumferentially about one end thereof, said stop means including a stop lever pivotaily connected to said shaft and engageable with said notches, means for preventing rotation of said stop lever relative to said device, means operatively connecting said stop lever with said actuating lever to resiliently urge said stop lever toward engagement with said notches upon opera tion of said actuating lever.

' 3. The combination of claim 1 including means in said reservoir for screening and removing the smaller parrticles of feed entering said chute fromsaid reservoir, smd screening means being disposed above the bottom of said reservoir wherein said smaller particles of feed will drop to and be retained in the bottom of said reseryou.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,212,892 Bourek Jan. 16, 1917 1,284,684 Hopkinson et al. Nov. 12, 1918 1,298,561 Powell Mar. 25, 1919 1,366,781 Freeman Jan. 25, 1921 1,814,488 Murnahan July 14, 1931 2,097,914 Cooper et al. Nov. 2, 1937 2,159,554 George May 23, 1939 2,319,725 Dr-initwater May 18, 1943 2,380,712 Walborn July 31, 1945 2,748,989 Russel June 5, 1956 

